Inside Business Feature - New developments at EP Resorts

By Daniel Sewell

Trail-Gazette

Posted:
12/19/2018 12:27:37 PM MST

A site map of where all the new homes will be located. (Courtesy photo)

Seven years ago Austin Bierl of Pacific West Hotels & Resorts purchased the property adjacent to Lake Estes next to the marina. Not only did he obtain The Estes Park Resort, formerly known as Lakeshore Lodge, but also the six acre lot behind the hotel, which Bierl planned to develop.

Three years ago the current developments underway began. These developments are broken down into four phases. The first phase is underway and includes construction of a new open-air event center and eight single family homes, which are all scheduled to be complete by next spring.

The homes match the beautiful log accent style that the hotel has. In total, there will be 31 single family homes, which are being sold in concordance with each phase, essentially eight at a time. So far two of the first eight have been sold.

The construction of the home on Lot 10. (Courtesy photo)

Being affiliated with the resort offers a number of unique benefits. Owners of the new homes will have full access to all of the resort amenities, which could include room-service.

Another unique opportunity afforded by the partnership with the resort is the ability to rent out the home. All of the back-end work of coordination and cleaning would be managed by a company created by the resort called Mountain Village Management.

There are strict regulations in Estes Park on short-term rentals. Pacific West spent most of the three years prior to construction working on getting appropriate zoning for the area.

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It is now zoned as A1- Accommodations, which allows for up to 29 days of renting. It might seem like a loophole in the short-term rental market considering that Estes Park has stopped issuing licenses for short-term rentals on any residential property outside of the A1 classification. But with the restriction on rental days the main function of the properties will be to serve as residences not rentals.

A rendering of what the inside of the upscale homes will look like. (Courtesy photo)

With the shortage of available housing and the increasing number of visitors this seems like a solid compromise. And it gives the owners of A1 properties a nice income opportunity.

Even with only 29 days of rentability one could conceivably rent their home for 14 weekends, allowing for fun weekend getaways. Or imagine four weeks of vacation, spent consecutively or spread out across the year.

Because of the rental option the Mountain Village homes can be purchased fully-furnished. Beyond that the options are limited, the homes are all 15,077 square feet, 2 bed, 2.5 bath, with a patio off the upstairs master bedroom.

But the homes are not the only developments happening at The Estes Park Resort.

"It's time for a fresh look, on the things that make the biggest guest impact" said Bierl, "After the following summer season we will be renovating all of the rooms in the resort. Every stick of furniture will be new, as well as the flooring and drapes, walk-in showers, and new 42" Smart TVs."

Around December of next year the bar/restaurant will undergo a massive overhaul. As it is, the bar is located towards the center of the hotel. But Bierl said that it will be moved so bar patrons will be looking out to the lake.

"We are going to change the restaurant to a QSR, so it is more family-friendly and casual. QSR means quick service restaurant," explained Bierl.

He said they are going to build a stone pizza oven and the outside walls of the restaurant will be converted to NanaWalls so the inside can be opened up to the patio that looks out across the lake and out to the Twin Sisters mountains.

Outside of the restaurant the lighting, restrooms, and ballroom are also drawn up to be renovated. Which Bierl expects to cost around $3.5 million.

It was unclear whether that figure included the new open-air event center currently being constructed. But it seems clear that the investment by Pacific West Hotels & Resorts is meant to make The Estes Park Resort a premier choice for weddings and other events.

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